If you were a 90s kid you probably
grew up knowing about the hit abc series Boy
Meets World. The premise of the show was about a boy named Corey Matthews, who navigated the perils of growing from a boy to a man, with his best friend
(and total babe) Shawn Hunter, and Corey's first love, Topanga Lawrence. I recently
binged on the show when I saw it was on Hulu and fell in love all over
again. I’ve asked other women if they were team Corey or team Shawn, and to be
honest, it’s a tough call. Both were adorable. Corey Matthews was an overall
good guy. He was the epitome of the boy-next-door. He was also smart, goofy,
loyal, and committed to Topanga Lawrence for the long haul. Then there was
Shawn. Shawn Hunter was the bad boy. He had a rough life, but, he was the rebel
with a good heart, which made him even hotter. He also had a sensitive side, and
when he hooked up with his girlfriend Angela when the show went into its later
seasons, I was hooked. I was definitely rooting for those two to last. Boy Meets World was one of those shows
that represented a more innocent time. A time before technology and trashy
television started taking over. I believe that’s what made it so special. It
was a good, clean show about growing up. I wonder if there’ll ever be something
like it to come around, again. It’d be a tough act to follow.
I’m a Black educator in my fifth year of teaching middle school English, and in my third as the 8th Grade English PLC (Professional Learning Community) Lead. And while I genuinely enjoy the purposeful work I get to do, seeing the growth of my scholars, and continuing to hone my skills in a content area I’ve loved since I was a little girl, I’ve had to confront some unpleasant experiences in this space. I’d been through much worse when I was an academic advisor at a Christian university. Racism, sexism, harassment, and workplace bullying were sadly norms in that environment. However, some of what I’ve experienced as a Black educator hasn’t been normal … It doesn’t seem normal to be the only Black educator in my department – in a predominantly Black school. One of my Black colleagues once said, “It should look like a Tyler Perry movie in here.” But it doesn’t. It didn’t feel normal being reprimanded in a meeting (during my second year of teaching) by an administrator who went in on...